The Backstory
'The Backstory...' *On the surface everything seems to be going great for Dagrmourn, almost as if a second golden age was bein ushered in... but beneath the surface an insidious evil plot is growing thicker by the day. *As Amon grows old and weak his son is begining to take the reigns of rule. So much so that he has taken over prime responsibility of both the High Minister and Lord General. He has deployed forces across the world in order to flash the Empires great power and wealth. *Amarth has even created his own clandestine military force known as the Red Cloaks which he uses to secretly impose his will like storm troopers. Rumors say he even has a great Red Wyrm in his employ, controlled by Lady Avira who has Second-Era Drow in her lineage. *A rising tide of evil and darkness seems to creeping in upon the lands of good. Nations teeter on the brink of war and great monsters are assembling their own armies to take back the world they think the shouldve won during the Godswar. Amarth is involved in a great scheme (WARNING DM ONLY) *Lady Alvira has fostered a secret alliance with the Underqueen of House Aranid, the human Overlords of the Underlands. However her only reason for this was to put up a smoke screen to her real intentions. *Alvira and Amarth are truly servents of the rising Driderlord Araknidia the new Queen of the Drowpact of Iskexlun-Kravenskell. **Amarth has created dissonance in the Arcavian city of Oldavia giving rise to a revolution which resulted in Oldavia succeeding from the Arcavian empire and becoming the Free City of Anwardine. Arcavia's wide spread and mostly poor infrastructure has now come calling to Dagrmourn for military assistance which Amarth is more than happy to give as long as he is allowed to install his own Lord into Oldavia, which of course, will eventually be Underqueen Aranid. She will be given the City to get her away from the Underlands of Dagrmourn. **Knowing the Northerner's hatred for the Aranid's and anyone tied to the Underlands, he knows she and her entire royal monarchy will be torn to shreds from the inside out. This will leave the road wide open for Araknidia and the Drow to control the Underlands which will finally give them intimate access into Deeprune and the millions of miles of tunnels, caverns, and resource rich lairs underneath Kalamir's crust. **Something has happened though that NONE of these players could have take n into account. A powerful mad-drow necromancer has tried userping Araknidia whom in turn exiled him from the underlands. He was obsessed with an ancient Necromage turned Lich named MAgross the Defiler. His obsession led to extremely bizzare necro-experimentations which eventually led to his exile. ** This Drow's name is Behedra the Vile and for the last 5 years he has been wandering the shadows of Dagrmourn building the ranks of his cult now called The Order of the Black Hand. They search tirelessly for both the tomb of Magross and the Vault of Odinwrat where his phlactery is said to have been banished. Behedra is a very crafty, cunning, opponent. With the help of his cultis cabal he has garnered the support of both high priests (Turning them to Magross worshippers) and lords in order to fund his campaign of terror. ** In fact, deep in the Forestt of Gallows, he has conscripted the Orcish Warlord GAZGUL and begun funding his warband. Slowly over the last 2 years, Gazgul has united the Goblin, orc, and Ogre tribes into one massive force known as The Bonegnawer Clan. Together they have been rampaging a mile wide trail of rape, death, and destruction carving their way East towards the Iron Maw Mts. **'King Sunderfire of Arcavia' is now beginning to ask questions. He has requested that an assembly of the Crowns be held, where the leaders of all the great empires and city-states come together to discuss a solution to a problem plaguing one of it's members. Amarth agreed and has called an emergency meeting of the Grand Ministry, IN FULL, to be summoned immediatly on the first day of the Autumn Dueling moons in Dagrmourn. With the world seemingly falling apart around them and the tides of darkness lapping at their shores, he wants to create a plan to quell this possibly fatal chain of events. However, Behedra, Amarth, Araknidia, Sunderfire, and even Aranid have differnt plans for the outcome of this gathering... An Overview of Events 'CHAPTER 1-3' *PC's arrive in Shorefall and are taken into custody by the Barongard. **They are drugged and taken to the dungeon. *PC's, with the hep of Drizzniv Blackfeather, escape the Dungeon, find Drexel, and then release Bruno Bronzeblade who knows where your equipment is. **From here PC's can either restin in Drizzniv's secret hide out in the sewers. **Or continue on to the Barracks to get their things. *If pc's rest in Drizzniv's they awake the next day to see Drizzniv taking off. He tells the pc's to meet him soon in Ravenmire to repay that 'favor'. He's also gonna leave a few notes for the PC's in the sewers to show them how to travel around to a few keypoints in the city. **Bruno refuses to let the PC's search the sewers he insists they return to the Keep and get their things and try to rescue Tiera and Aranoul. ***If Pc's decide to raid the sewer. They uncover a buncha Plaguefang, Derro, a carrion crawler, and then a few notes that lead them to the crypt. Down there they find more notes to a well pop up in the Brightflame District. They may also uncover the ORDER OF THE BLACK HAND talking with some noble in their crazy temporary lair where they are disecting TIERA. *If pc's continue on to the barracks, Driizniv refuses to go and will leave notes to show them how to get to his pad. In the barracks PC's throw down with some serious enemies and find a buncha cool shit. Tate Mccray informs them that he heard the Lord of the Whisper talking about the Elf, human, and halfling. He insists they wanna speak to you. **If pc's enter the KEEP, they are captured and brought in front of an angry lord baron who decides to execute them on the spot. Thats when Baylor Stormcaster enters and tells them to stop. He informs them that the PC's are very important. Possibly the ones the prophets spoke of. ***Stormcaster insists the Lordbaron let them go. He does but only on a probational period. they must stay in the city for the next fort night until the shit with the sea striders is sorted out. He even gives them rooms at the Redwyrm. *Pc's can now freely roam the city possibly finding a few side quests and slowly unraveling information about the bigger plot.